Introducing a Systems Thinking Approach to Considering Outdoor Play: Nature Play Website
14 March 2025
Developing or enhancing outdoor and nature-based play opportunities within Early Learning and Childcare settings seems simple, just step outside the door, right?
But our experience of supporting practitioners and leaders to create more, or richer, outdoor play and learning experiences for children in nursery settings for almost a decade has shown us that it is a complex subject. Everything from parental anxiety, educator skills and experience, and the places and spaces available, to resources, clothing, and pedagogy comes into play!
That’s why, as an element of our Leadership and Sector Support strategic work, Thrive Outdoors have been partnering with the University of Glasgow to understand more about the system that influences outdoor play in early years settings.
Outdoor nature-based play and learning in early learning and childcare settings integrates learning and playing in and with nature in the curriculum, environment and culture.
Developed through exploration and dialogue with practitioners, ELC leaders, strategic and advisory bodies and recently parents and children, the Nature Play website introduces a systems thinking approach to considering outdoor play.
The website showcases the mapped system factors and their connections related to nature-based play and learning in Early Learning and Childcare (ELC). It is designed for ELC practitioners, managers, and providers. This resource can be used as a tool for professional development and to support the enhancement of nature-based play and learning in ELC settings. Additionally, the website includes links to external resources pertinent to the topic.
Thrive Outdoors is committed to offering a range of opportunities for educators and practitioners from a range of backgrounds and sectors to explore, develop and enhance their outdoor play and learning development. Working in partnership with others is essential if we are to realise the ambition of Scotland’s National Position Statement on Outdoor Play and Learning to support and enable all of Scotland’s children and young people to access our diverse greenspaces and natural landscapes and to empower them to enjoy these spaces for the purposes of playing and learning.